S'il Vous Plait
by Airanke
Summary: He just wanted her to be his apprentice. Really. Cilan/Dento x Burgundy/Cabernet; Sommeliershipping.
1. Chapter 1

English names are being used for consistency purposes; the ages of all characters involved have been bumped up :) Therefore:

Ash is 17, Iris is 16, Cilan is 20, Burgundy is 19, Trip and Georgia are also 17 and Stephen is 18. I'm going with a bit of a S.S. Anne event here; battles on board and some dancing and whatever. Some trades will occur, Pokemon will evolve, and other cool shizz.

Also including my OCs (I guess I can call them) Aislynn and Raphael, both of whom are 18. In this fic Aislynn is the League Champion because I wanted to xD! And also because I really really don't like Georgia :X

Main pairing: Cilan x Burgundy.

Others: Ash x Misty (forever and for always), Trip x Georgia (for WTF) and Iris x Stephen (whhhhat do you have any idea how hot Stephen is? Plus Iris' Emolga and Stephen's Sawk would be pretty cute together ehehehe).

Enjoy :)

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><p><strong>S'il vous Plaît<strong>

Chapter 1: Shall we dance?

"Burgundy, you understand don't you? Just accept my offer already!" Cilan was exasperated with the woman in front of him – what did she have against him anyway? Aside from the fact that he had defeated her in her first visit to the gym he shared with his brothers and _then_ it was apparently his fault that she didn't get a chance to exact her revenge on him when she visited the gym again after becoming a Pokemon Sommelier herself.

Of course, it just so happened that Ash, Iris and Cilan stumbled upon a mega-mall on their journey across Unova, and Ash had gone to see a S-Class Sommelier about his marriage to his Sewaddle. Burgundy had interfered, tricking Ash into thinking she was a S-Class Sommelier herself when she was only a C-Class.

_'And still is,'_ Cilan thought to himself as he raised his arm to cut her off on the left; he had her cornered against the wall.

"Leave me alone!" she snarled, slapping his arm down, "I don't need to be nor do I want to be your apprentice!"

Before he could ask her to reconsider – _'you're a skilled Sommelier, I only want to help!'_ - she was running off down the alley. Cilan rubbed the back of his head as he stared after her, green eyes narrowed back in confusion.

"She sure _is_ stubborn. Ah, I should have expected this, especially after our battle to see who had done a proper tasting of Ash's marriage with his Pokemon..." he sighed and started walking in the direction Burgundy had gone, back towards Central Park, "in the end I won, but that doesn't mean she was _entirely_ wrong... just her way of going about the tasting, telling Ash he needed to replace all his Pokemon."

The trio was back in Castelia City; Cilan had spotted Burgundy walking around, her gaze intense as she looked over the variety of trainers and Pokemon spending time together in the park. Every once in a while she would stop and look more closely at a pair, often causing them to stare back at her in wonder at what she was doing. Sometimes she would give a pair a smile – others received a cold glare accompanied by a frown.

She never said anything, prompting Cilan to excuse himself from Iris and Ash's presence to seek her out. He had quietly followed her down the nearly empty "back street" of Castelia City, walking uncomfortably past two motorcyclists chuckling about who-knows-what.

_'To think that she's still C-Class... it's been nearly two months. Ash will be turning seventeen soon, though he has yet to reach the final gym,'_ he smiled when he saw his two friends sitting impatiently on a bench in the park – or rather, Ash was sitting with his hands planted firmly against his knees and Iris was pacing around in front of the bench.

"Ash, Iris!" he called, waving at the two. Iris was immediately in front of him, glaring up at him. Cilan came to an abrupt stop in his walking, blinking his eyes rapidly at the plum haired girl.

"Where did you go! Do you have any idea how _long_ Ash and I spent searching for you throughout the entire park -" Axew emerged from her hair and crawled onto her face, effectively cutting her off, giving Cilan an apologetic look. Cilan continued to stare at her, placing a hand on his hip.

"I was sure I told you two that I was going to take a walk by myself," he said as Ash walked over.

"Axew, you're going to suffocate her," he complained, lifting the small dragon Pokemon off her face. Iris gasped dramatically, then jabbed her finger at Cilan and continued her scolding – he leaned back in response to the unexpected action.

"You! You were gone for nearly an _hour_ and you expect us to just sit around and wait when we have supplies to restock on and places to go! _We don't have time to waste here!_" Iris exclaimed, stamping her foot against the ground.

Cilan covered his face with his hand, _'ahh, how could I forget that we were here to restock on supplies? Burgundy distracts my attention, it seems,'_ he raised his head to see Ash and Iris in an argument about one of the many things that they argued about, this time being about where they would stay the night. He sighed, rubbing his fingers over his temple.

_'Such kids. Oh, I should tell them I talked to Burgundy,'_ he approached the two, placing one hand on each of their shoulders and pushing them back, "all right, that's enough arguing. We'll go restock on supplies. I was talking to Burgundy earlier, that's why I took so long."

He pretended not to notice that Iris had stiffened at the news; Ash looked distraught to hear that Burgundy was in Castelia City.

"Not her agaaain, gees, I don't know if I can handle seeing her!" he wailed, grabbing his hair tightly in his hands, "she hates all my Pokemon! And I'm sure she hates me too!"

"Ash, she doesn't hate you, she just has a different opinion on your marriage with your Pokemon. You should at least take some of what she assessed into consideration," Cilan told him, crossing his arms over his chest, "I told you, didn't I? It's hard to become a Sommelier and she has talent."

"She sure has talent all right" - Cilan barely heard Iris' voice. He gave her a stern look.

"I guess you two wouldn't get along very well," he wondered aloud, turning to make his way towards the Pokemon Center, where the mart was also located. He went through a mental checklist of everything they would need for their journey further North, towards the Ice gym.

"Why is Burgundy here?"

"I didn't think to ask that," he replied to Iris' question, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. She was scowling at him.

"Then, what _did _you ask her?" Iris demanded, her eyes glittering with determination. Cilan couldn't help laughing affectionately at her, patting her on the head.

"My, my, aren't you curious today! I was asking her to be my apprentice. I want to help her become a better Sommelier, because she has _talent,_ as I already mentioned," he felt the need to reiterate the last part, lest Iris let her hormones get the better of her and she accuse him of finding Burgundy... attractive.

Which he did, but the fact that he found her attractive didn't mean he was attracted _to_ her, and Iris would surely accuse him of such a thing. She had been acting a lot more possessive of him and Ash lately, saying things like "they're _my _traveling partners" or "no you can't sit with us, we're a group of _three_" - which always made Axew and Pikachu feel left out, though she managed to amend her mistake in those situations.

After the Don battle championship, however, Iris seemed more open to including a fourth member in their group – that being Stephan. Iris had had a short chat with him after their battle had finished; Cilan thought they had nice chemistry. Iris would hear nothing of it though.

_'She acts so childish for a sixteen year old,'_ he glanced at her, noting that she was staring at him, _'and she still has the urge to always point out when others are being childish.'_

"Well, I'll get the supplies while you two go find a place to spend the night," the two younger trainers whined and Cilan chided them, "oh come on, don't be so childish" - he glanced pointedly at Iris and she pouted - "the sun's going down so we might as well spend the night in Castelia. That, and the cruise ship will be going around the city tonight. I'm sure you two would enjoy that."

Upon hearing this news Iris excitedly clapped her hands together and grabbed Ash's arm, saying something about finding the nearest hotel. Cilan shook his head and entered the Pokemon center, making his way right over to the market.

He couldn't find some ingredients he needed for some recipes, but he could improvise. He made sure he had a good amount of potions, if Ash's penchant for battling wasn't a warning enough already that he would end up doing something reckless.

_'And Iris too. After her battle with Georgia that first time... hm,'_ Cilan didn't want to think about the stuck up red head. For her to insult Iris multiple times _and_ eat their entire breakfast all by herself – that was simply selfish. She even refused to accept her loss to Ash as a mistake in how she battled him, putting the blame instead on the terrain of the battlefield at the Club Battle tournament.

After thanking the grocer Cilan left the store. He quirked his eyebrow at Ash and Iris who stood outside – they were both panting.

"I take it you think I'm going to wander off on my own again and not tell you where I'm going," he teased; both his companions grumbled at him.

"We came to get you because there's more than one hotel here you know," Iris mumbled, tapping the toe of her shoe against the cobblestone path. Cilan sighed, _'I suppose I should refrain from teasing them so much. Seems to get on their nerves.'_

"I appreciate it, Iris," he smiled at her, watching her avert her gaze.

"R-right, let's go then! Do you know what time the ship leaves the boardwalk?" she asked enthusiastically, making her way towards the boardwalk already. Cilan grabbed her arm and pulled her back, laughing lightly; Ash laughed as well and the two men steered her around.

"I thought we were showing Cilan to the hotel, Iris," Ash teased, "or are you just a bit eager to go to that cruise ship?"

"Of course I'm eager!" she complained, "forget the hotel, let's just go to the ship!"

"And not change into something more formal? I heard there was going to be a dance," Cilan informed her, poking her in the forehead. A faint blush rose to her cheeks and she stomped towards the third street.

"F-fine! We'll go back to the hotel first, get changed, and _then_ go to the ship!"

"Sounds like a plan!" Ash called after her. Cilan glanced at the dark haired boy, _'I wonder what he wants. He looks like he wants to ask me something.'_

"Um, Cilan... I hate to tell you this, especially after you bought all those supplies, but we ran into Trip at the hotel. He's staying here for a while, and since I really want to battle him again – I er, kinda' booked our rooms for a week," he looked up at Cilan sheepishly, like he expected him to get angry. Cilan smiled at him.

"I rather like Castelia city, so I don't mind staying here longer. Don't worry about it. I can cook meals for us regardless of where we are."

Ash brightened up, but his eyes brimmed with another question. Cilan leaned down slightly, raising his eyebrow. Ash pursed his lips to the left in thought.

"I dunno', I was just thinking you're happy to stay here 'cause Burgundy's – _hey!_ Calm down, will ya!" Ash laughed when Cilan hit him lightly on the head with his fist, eye twitching in irritation.

"Let me finish my sentence! At least you'll get more chances to try and convince her to be your apprentice!" Ash hurried into the hotel lobby, snickering to himself while Cilan hesitated outside, squinting his eyes in thought.

_'Ash is right. With the extra week, I might have more success,'_ he brought his hand to his chin, contemplating the ways he could convince her to be his apprentice as he walked into the lobby. Ash waved to him from inside the elevator and Iris impatiently tapped her foot on the floor. He hurried into the lift with his friends, taking note of the floor number: five.

"Ash made me get a separate room," Iris complained as they stepped out of the lift. Cilan knew Ash's reasons, but for Iris' sake he gave Ash a questioning look anyway. Ash shrugged.

"She's just mad because the room is a bit further from ours. Come on, Iris, I know you're comfortable with us and all, but the hotel is different from the Pokemon center, and it's different from being outside..." Ash frowned at her as they came to room 507, "I thought you might like to have some better privacy for once."

Iris gave Ash an apologetic look, her gaze drifting to the floor, "oh... sorry."

"It's okay. It's not like you can't visit us," Ash pushed open the door after finally succeeding with the key card, "she's in room 518 by the way. It's not too far. Trip's a floor below us," Ash glanced at Iris, "maybe you should go to your room first and get ready, then come over here."

Iris frowned at him, but did as he said and waved, hurrying off down the hall to her room to get changed.

Ash stretched once he entered the room and Cilan set the supplies on the table top.

"Ah, Burgh was downstairs earlier. We ended up having a long-winded conversation about Leavanny! I can't wait till my Swadloon becomes one," Ash relayed happily, his grin spreading wide across his face. Cilan smiled at him.

"I'm sure your Swadloon will become one soon. He's very happy and the two of you have a great marriage, I think. I know Burgundy thought otherwise when he was still a Sewaddle."

Ash shrugged, then jumped up, "well, might as well change. Oh, forgot! Iris has my bag..." he huffed and made for the door, "oh yeah, here," he handed Cilan the other card key, "this is for you. Better give it to you before I forget."

"Thanks," Cilan followed Ash out of the room, noting that his bag was also missing. Upon exiting the room the two fell into idle conversation.

"Do you have any plans on evolving Pansage?" Ash inquired as they turned down the hall. A door near them was opening.

"I – I've thought about it. What about Pikachu?" upon hearing this Pikachu attempted to electrocute Cilan; he jumped out of the way, bumping into the wall.

"I'll take that as a no, as far as Pikachu is concerned," he said nervously, a bead of sweat running down his forehead. While Ash chided Pikachu – the yellow mouse whined – the door that had been opening opened further, as if whoever was inside was afraid to come out.

"Back when I was in Kanto, battling Lieutenant Surge, he tried to convince me to evolve Pikachu into a Raichu, because as a Pikachu there was no way I could beat his Raichu. In the end I proved him wrong, but... I had still considered it. That upset Pikachu."

"I see. No wonder your marriage with your Pikachu is so great, you two have been through... a lot... together," Cilan found his own voice trailing off when his eyes rested on a tall violet haired woman; she had just stepped out of her room. He stared when he realized who she was after she made eye-contact with him.

_'That's... Burgundy? I've never seen her in something aside from her Sommelier clothes,'_ he blinked, aware that he was staring and that she was staring back at him, but he just couldn't tear his eyes away. From the way she blushed he knew that he wasn't supposed to recognize her, but though her hair – straighter than it normally was - hadn't given her away her beautiful lilac eyes betrayed her identity.

The blue sun dress she was wearing made her violet eyes a more vibrant shade of lilac, turning them almost blue. Ash seemed to notice the exchange though he didn't say anything, opting instead to remain silent.

Burgundy regained her composure and "hmphed", sticking her nose up in the air and walking swiftly past the two. Cilan opened his mouth to call after her but thought better of it, biting his lip.

_'She's not going to talk to me, if her behavior earlier was hint enough,'_ Cilan would have sighed if Ash hadn't been there.

And Ash was the one who called out to Burgundy.

"Ah, Burgundy!" the woman stopped and turned her head to look over her shoulder.

"What?"

Ash clearly had no idea what to say, so he laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head, while Cilan pushed away from the wall, "hi."

She quirked an eyebrow, glancing at Cilan, "hi..."

"So um, why are you wearing the dress?" Ash questioned, shifting closer to Cilan. Cilan looked at him, confused.

"I'm - just trying it on," she replied in a hurried voice. Cilan focused his gaze back on her, wondering why she replied so quickly.

_'Not the real reason, then?'_ he wondered, his eyes flicking back to Ash. Clearly Burgundy was going somewhere, but just what was Ash planning?

"Oh? Okay... you look like you're in a hurry so I guess I'll see you later."

Burgundy looked just as confused as Cilan was and she shook her head, "see you," she faced forward again and started walking towards the elevator. Cilan felt an elbow in his back and he looked at Ash.

"Don't be an idiot," Ash growled in a low voice, "she's wearing that dress for a reason, isn't she? And she was so nervous about coming out of her room. You're an A-Class Sommelier, can't you figure it out?"

Cilan took a few steps forward in realization, "Burgundy!"

She paused mid-step, tilting her head slightly to the left but not looking back at him, "what do you want?"

He cringed at the sound of her voice and – glancing back at Ash once more to receive a nod of encouragement – he spoke up, "that dress looks great on you," he couldn't manage anything more.

Burgundy whipped around in shock, staring at him. The dress billowed and swirled around her legs when she spun; a beautiful movement that had distracted Cilan's attention.

_'This dress... gives off a very tempting taste,'_ he forced himself to look at Burgundy's face so that she would see he was serious when he told her that the dress looked good on her. Her cheeks were a brilliant red and the longer the two stared at each other the more her blush deepened. Cilan felt warmth spreading over his cheeks as well and Burgundy turned on her heel to walk down the hall in a flurry. She jabbed the elevator button with her finger, impatiently waiting for it to arrive. Cilan could only stare at her back, wondering where she was going to be wearing a dress like that.

After she had gotten in the elevator and the doors had closed, Cilan looked up and to the right in embarrassment, pretending not to hear Ash's snickering.

"'That dress looks great on you'," Ash repeated, struggling to keep his laughter in check, "but you didn't say anything about the taste it gave off! That's so unlike you!"

Cilan glared down at him and this served to only make Ash laugh harder, "y-you're comment was p-pretty eloquent though!"

"That wasn't eloquent at all!" Cilan exclaimed, flustered. Ash wrapped his arms around his stomach, laughter spilling from his mouth. Cilan glowered, cheeks red, "you – _stop laughing at me!_"

Cilan chased Ash down the hall to Iris' room. She must have heard them because the door was open when they arrived.

"S-sorry Iris! I'm gonna' hide in your bathroom for a bit!" Ash yelped, grabbing his bag and making a beeline for the bathroom. Cilan sighed, closing his eyes tightly as he flopped down on the only bed in the room, rolling onto his back. Iris pouted at him.

"What – oh," he finally noticed that she was wearing a dress. It was a pale pink, two layers at the top and two at the bottom, with a garnet brooch in the middle of the collar. She wore long pink gloves as well and did a little twirl for him.

"What do you think?" she sounded hopeful. Cilan grinned at her.

"That pink suits you well. Such a cute taste," he noticed that she seemed disgruntled by what he said. She sat down next to him as he folded his arms behind his head.

"So um... what are you going to wear? I certainly hope you aren't going to wear that, Cilan," Iris said, poking Cilan in the chest. He looked at her, faking hurt.

"Iris, your lack of faith in my taste of style is depressing me."

She flushed and clamored over him, "_you-! _Just because I want to know what you're going to wear!"

Cilan felt an odd nervousness come over him. He wrapped his hand around one of Iris' arms, pushing himself up on his elbows.

"_Maa maa_, calm down Iris. You really can't take teasing can you?" he sat up further, forcing her to sit back up as well. She glared at the floor, flustered.

"You're such a kid," he heard her mutter under her breath; he smiled affectionately at her, ruffling her hair.

"How can I be the child when I'm older than you?" he asked her softly. This earned him a smack on the hand and she crossed her arms over her chest, turning her body away from him. He laughed.

"Now look who's being a kid," he jumped off the bed when she made to tackle him again; she tackled the pillow instead and glared at him. He smiled broadly and shook his head. Ash finally came out of the bathroom, attempting to smooth out his hair. He was wearing a simple suit; nothing too fancy.

"I just can't get it to look good..."

"I think I can help you," Iris offered as Cilan wordlessly pulled a change of clothes out of his bag – which he found on the table - and slipped into the bathroom to change. He felt that the white suit would be too much, but he'd been looking for an excuse to wear it. The fact that there was a dance on the cruise was a good enough reason -

_'Dance on the cruise... wait, Burgundy must be going as well. She has no other reason to wear that dress,'_ he leaned against the marble counter, staring at his reflection. He could almost see her beside him in her blue dress, a near perfect match to his white suit – he shook his head, dispelling the thoughts.

"Cilan! Are you ready yet?" Iris called impatiently from outside. He pulled the door open and stepped out, holding his bag in one hand.

"I am, I am. Shall we go then, impatient little miss?" he offered her his hand, letting his bag drop to the floor – he was sure his Pokemon didn't mind the short fall.

Iris blushed, crossing her arms over her chest and refusing to take his hand. He smiled and offered it to Ash instead – Ash laughed and took his hand in good humor.

"Let us proceed, good sir."

"Indeed," the two snickered when Iris yanked their hands apart and held onto both of them, dragging them towards the door. Ash reached forward and pulled it open while Cilan took the card key out of its slot next to the light switch; the trio found themselves at the cobblestone boardwalk minutes later. Iris complained about how her feet hurt.

"Well you _could_ have walked a bit slower y'know," Ash informed her. Iris pouted at him and then turned on Cilan.

"So why did you offer him your hand anyway?" she demanded. Cilan rolled his eyes.

"Iris, my dear, you wouldn't take it, so I figured I'd give Ash the chance. Besides, I'm sure you knew he already has a girlfriend," Cilan bent down to her height, hooking his thumbs in his pockets. Iris blinked and looked back at Ash, who blushed and rubbed the back of his head.

"I – I met her when I was ten, actually... When I saw her again in the Hoenn region I kinda' – well I – just – we're in a long distance relationship now, okay? I really love her," he pouted and ducked his head, pretending to adjust the buttons on his jacket. While Iris pestered Ash for the name of this girlfriend, Cilan surveyed the area.

There were a lot of people on the boardwalk – trainers and non-trainers alike. He thought he spotted several trainers from the Club Battle tournament, doing a double take on the ones he recognized.

He saw Trip near the railing, talking to none other than Georgia; Stephen he saw was having a very animated with a man who appeared to be another trainer. Considering that the dark haired man had a Galvantula by his side and Stephen had his Zebrastrike out, Cilan assumed their conversation had something to do with electric types.

Next to the dark haired man was a beautiful brunette, her hair tied in a side ponytail. She had her arm hooked around the arm of the dark haired man – Cilan assumed them to be a couple. They were wearing coordinated outfits as well. She laughed at something Stephen had said, and soon all three were laughing.

_'Who would have thought Stephan to have a good taste in suits,'_ Cilan nodded his head, glancing to his right. Iris was still pestering Ash.

_'I don't see Burgundy anywhere,'_ Cilan realized, _'I wonder where she is...'_ he let his eyes sweep over the boardwalk again, looking for her blue dress. He spotted a silhouette near the end of the boardwalk, the dress about the same length as the one he had seen Burgundy wearing, but he wasn't sure it was her; after all, the hair was different. He felt disgruntled that he couldn't recognize her without her hair in its usual poof.

_'If I'm really an A-class Sommelier I should be able to recognize her by her curves – did I really just think that?'_ he brought a hand up to his face, resting his other hand on his hip. He glared at the ground and suddenly a loud voice could be heard.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Please make your way over to the entrance of the cruise ship; we will be departing shortly! We hope you enjoy the party!" a cheer rose up from the crowd, Ash whistling. Cilan tapped him on the shoulder.

"Yup?"

"Trip is here; so's Georgia and Stephan," he watched as Ash's eyes lit up and Iris frowned. Axew also poked his head out from Iris' hair upon hearing Georgia mentioned.

"I don't want to see that child again..." Iris muttered. Pikachu looked just as excited as Ash.

_'I wonder if I should have brought Pansage with me,'_ Cilan shook his head, following Ash and Iris as the two went ahead of him towards the boat, Iris with her hands clasped behind her back and Ash with his arms in the air, cheering.

The brunette that Cilan had seen earlier appeared in his peripheral vision. She was staring at him with ruby colored eyes and he gave her his attention.

"Yes?" he ventured; her eyes lit up and, to be polite, Cilan offered her his arm. She took it, never breaking eye contact with him.

"I noticed you looking at us earlier," her voice, though soft, had an edge to it; he knew she was a trainer simply from the tone of her voice.

_'And a very serious trainer at that,'_ he thought, smiling sheepishly at her, "and here I thought I was being sneaky."

She giggled, "my name's Aislynn, by the way. My boyfriend, Raphael, is busy having an argument with Stephen."

"Pleasure to meet you, Aislynn. My name's Cilan," his eyes swept over the crowd, looking for her boyfriend. He and Stephen appeared to be attempting to have a battle without really having one.

"I won't be surprised if it turns into a battle. Though in all honesty Raphael only doesn't like Zebrastrike because I beat his Galvantula with my Raijin."

"I see. You have a Zebrastrike?" he asked, looking at her more closely; he recognized her eye color.

"Yes, I do. My team is quite diverse, actually. I'm sure you remember me. I battled your brother Chili with a Panpour I named Tidus a while back."

Cilan chewed on his lip, "yes but, that's not why I recognize you..."

She smiled at him, "you would. I'm the current League Champion, after all."

Cilan paled, "the current... r-right, that would explain it. You beat Alder with your Ulgamoth."

"My precious Houno, yes. I fought that battle with him only. Houno is my vintage. Though I would have loved to use Kage in that battle, and my other Pokemon. They deserved it."

Cilan smiled; she spoke of her Pokemon with affection and great respect. It was as if she didn't even consider herself the actual League Champion, but considered her Pokemon to be the Champions.

The two were finally granted entry to the boat, making their way swiftly to the ball room. Raphael came running after them, and Aislynn chided him for leaving her for an argument. He apologized energetically, bowing several times.

"Thanks for looking after her, Cilan! Ah, you don't seem to have any Pokemon with you."

Cilan flushed in embarrassment, "yeah, I don't. It never crossed my mind."

"If that's the case, then I'll let you borrow this one," Raphael took a Pokeball of his back and handed it to Cilan, "please take good care of her."

"Ah, thank you -!" Raphael dragged Aislynn over to the drink tables before Cilan could ask him what type of Pokemon he had been given. He looked at the Pokeball in his hand apprehensively; it was of premier colors. He wondered where he should put it when he heard his name being called. He looked up and walked towards Ash.

The atmosphere was tense when he sat down – Ash was immune to it, of course, though Iris was clearly affected. The energetic teen had managed to round up Trip, Stephen and Georgia; now the six trainers sat at the same table.

"So," Cilan started; five sets of eyes focused on him. He felt his eye twitch before he continued, "it seems there will be a battle contest on this cruise. What Pokemon did you all bring? Not that you have to say."

"I brought my Pawniard. I want her to evolve into a Bisharp, and I think she's close," Georgia answered first, locking her eyes on Iris. Iris fidgeted before giving into the pressure.

"I brought Axew, obviously."

"I brought my Zebrastrike and Sawk. Both of them could use some more training!" Stephen sounded proud. Trip looked around the table and then sighed lightly.

"I've brought both my Servine and Gurrdurr. My reason for bringing Servine is the same as Georgia's reason for bringing Pawniard. He's close to evolving. As for my Gurrdurr, I'm hoping to find someone who has a Boldore or a Gurrdurr and is willing to trade to evolve. I could really use a Conkledurr on my team."

Ash, for the first time since Cilan had met him, looked intimidated by Trip's dedication to getting his Pokemon to evolve, "I brought Pikachu."

"Are you _ever_ going to evolve it?" Trip demanded, "I'm sure he's learned everything he needs to. Just evolve him already!"

"It's not that simple!" Ash retaliated, "is it wrong for me to want to keep Pikachu a Pikachu?"

"It is when all the other Pokemon on your team haven't evolved yet!" Trip snapped, bringing his fists down on the table, "you're holding your Pokemon back!"

Ash didn't have time to defend himself as Georgia quickly joined Trip's side, "he's right, you know. Even Iris has an Excadrill. You really should evolve your Pokemon."

Cilan buried his head in his hands, _'he just _had_ to get these two to sit with us. He should've seen this coming.'_

Music started blaring from the speakers – several people started doing little dances. Cilan disagreed with the song – this night was _not_ going to be a good night.

Stephen had since joined in on the argument, though he took Ash's side, "look, if it's Ash's style to not evolve his Pokemon, then don't force him to. Everyone trains their Pokemon differently, y'know," he stated, folding his arms over the table, "so let's simmer down some, okay?"

Georgia sneered at him, "I'm surprised you're taking his side, since you have an evolved Pokemon too. Clearly, the fact that he hasn't evolved his Pokemon isn't normal."

"I heard there might be some Trubbish over here. Didn't expect it to be true," another voice chimed in and Cilan shifted his gaze to the speaker.

There stood Burgundy, a challenging gaze set on Georgia, "you mind saving the bickering for when the battles actually start?"

Cilan felt greatly misinformed after Burgundy confirmed that there would be battles on the ship. He looked at the Premier ball he had set on the table, _'just what Pokemon have I been given?'_

Georgia finally thought of something to retaliate with, "says the girl that lost to Ash in the first round of the Club Battle!"

"Indeed, I do say," Burgundy placed her hands on her knees, bending down to Georgia's height, "I'll have you know I brought my Swasbuck and a new addition to my team. Both of them could easily take out your precious Pawniard and, might I add, your Beartic too. Though I agree with you on the whole evolution thing, like Stephen said everyone has their own pace."

Georgia flushed red with anger, "you – you'll never get to being half the Sommelier Cilan is!"

The way Burgundy's eyes narrowed made Cilan wish Georgia had never brought up the topic. He was having enough trouble convincing Burgundy to accept his guidance as it was. He didn't need Georgia to make it more difficult.

Burgundy straightened, her glare making Georgia nervous.

"You're every bit as bitchy as your Pawniard, I'll give you _that_. For you to stoop so low as to personally insult me, that just shows how terrible of a trainer you are. I feel sorry for your Pokemon," Burgundy hissed before she turned on her heel and stalked away.

Cilan frowned at her back, then noticed that Georgia was about to say something – and by the looks of it, what she said wasn't going to be nice.

"I'll have to agree with her, Georgia. You and your Pawniard do give a cattish taste," he shrugged when she groaned, lowering her forehead to the table. She muttered under her breath; Trip snorted in an attempt to stop his laugh. Georgia stood abruptly, glaring down at him.

"Just wait till you have to battle me later! I'll show you!" she stormed away, towards the designated dance floor.

The boat jerked then, a clear indication that the cruise around Castelia had now begun.

* * *

><p>Cilan joined Ash back at the table after a few dances that Iris insisted he do with her – he was tired out now.<p>

"Weeelcome back!" Ash greeted, giving him a wide grin. Cilan managed a tired smile.

"I demand to know how you've avoided all this dancing. I need a break," Cilan complained lightly, eying the Pokegear that Ash had just put away, "talking to your girlfriend?"

Ash blushed, "darn you."

A laugh escaped Cilan's lips, "so how is she? You told me she was a gym leader."

"Yeah, now she is."

"So what's her name?"

"Misty..." Ash replied dreamily before regaining his composure, "b-besides that, I don't want to dance with anyone but Misty!"

Cilan chuckled and the two fell into a comfortable silence. He had Stephan to thank for saving him from Iris – the boy was a good dancer, so Iris was willing to do a silly little waltz with him. Though Georgia and Trip had decided to dance together Cilan noticed that the two spent more time bickering and conversing than they spent dancing.

_'Come to think of it, I haven't seen Burgundy since Georgia insulted her,'_ he looked around for her, draping his arm over the chair. Aislynn and Raphael, who were slow-dancing in a corner, caught Cilan's eye; they made him smile. He thought they were a perfect match for each other.

"Hey um, Cilan."

"Hm?" Cilan gave Ash his attention.

"Thought I'd mention that Burgundy's been by the wall this entire time. I think she was getting hit-on earlier, actually," Ash informed him, his eyes glinting mischievously.

_'Burgundy was being hit-on?'_ he turned his head once again, finally finding Burgundy standing against the wall next to the exit – and there was some man blocking her path, clearly interested in her. She looked uncomfortable, her arms crossed defensively over her chest and her head lowered.

"Maybe you should go deal with that," Ash snickered, making Cilan fix a glare on him. He didn't know why seeing Burgundy getting hit-on infuriated him so – he quickly got up and muttered, "maybe I should."

He felt Ash's gaze on his back the entire time he stalked towards the man and Burgundy. The man must have felt his glare because he turned his head to look at the A-class Sommelier. Cilan stopped when he came up on Burgundy's left.

"Hey," he hoped he sounded possessive.

"What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?" before Cilan could say anything the man asked another question while Burgundy shifted closer to Cilan, "who're you anyway?"

Cilan said the first thing that came to mind, "I'm her brother."

The man didn't look convinced so Cilan wrapped his arm around Burgundy's waist and pulled her close, pressing his cheek to hers, "we are! We have the same smile, see?"

Of course, Cilan could only hope they had the same nervous smile. Holding her so close to his body made his heart pound. It felt nice to have her so close, to have her hand press against his chest.

The man glared but walked away, snarling under his breath. Before Burgundy could get away from him and not willing to miss this chance, Cilan hustled over to the dance floor, setting his hands on her waist. After a moment, Burgundy moved her hands from his chest to his shoulders.

"... thanks."

"My pleasure," she looked away and he decided to start a conversation – the slow songs were still being played, after all.

"So who is this mystery Pokemon of yours?" he ventured; Burgundy looked back up at him.

"You'll see. Why would I want to ruin the surprise?" she added when he pouted at her. He sighed – she _did_ have a point.

"I was hoping you would just tell me. How's your Dewott?"

"Evolved and ready to kick your butt," she replied, a smile touching her lips. He laughed lightly.

"Is she now? You know, you and your Dewott – er, Samurott make a good team. You didn't really give me a chance to tell you that last time," she blushed under his gaze.

"In all honesty, I doubt I'll ever be able to beat you," he heard her mutter.

"I thought your goal was to defeat me," he reminded her. She raised her head, scowling at him.

"Yeah, you're my goal but-" she fell silent, a blush rising to her cheeks. Cilan stared, sure he had heard her wrong.

_'_I'm_ her goal? That's different than simply defeating me. If I'm her goal then doesn't that mean -'_ her fingers twitched on his shoulders so Cilan quickly wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against him; this only served to make her blush deepen.

"What was that?" he inquired, gazing steadily at her.

"D-defeating you is m-my goal, yes, a-and I haven't really given up on that yet," she tried to amend; tried to avoid wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I'm sure I heard it differently the first time. I was your goal, did you say?"

"No!" she denied, focusing her eyes on his chest, "no, you heard wrong..."

"I doubt I did," Cilan fought off his own blush. Her breasts were quite soft.

"You're too close," she complained, raising her head so she could look at him. Cilan lowered his head, making Burgundy's eyes flutter.

Cilan was disgruntled when the song ended, changing to something more up-beat. Burgundy had swiftly moved her hands to his chest, pushing lightly and refusing to make eye contact with him.

_'If only that song had lasted a little longer,' _he felt an angry gaze on his back, but he shrugged it off, _'if only... just a little longer.'_

* * *

><p><em>(AN): Cilan, what you be thinking! :O_


	2. Chapter 2

Oh wow I take a long time to update things.

HERE'S CHAPTER 2!

Oh well shoot. I forgot things were supposed to evolve... OH WELL. NEXT TIME I'LL REMEMBER.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2: Pawniard vs. Gurdurr.<strong>

Of course, after the dance, Burgundy just _had_ to storm away from him, muttering under her breath, her cheeks bright red. Cilan walked back over to where Ash was sitting, oblivious to the glare Iris had fixed on him – she and Stephen were both sitting at the table again. Ash was enjoying a plate of mashed potatoes, while Stephen was biting into a large chicken leg. He gave Cilan a thumbs up.

"You thoo wook weally goot togeher," he said, the leg still in his mout Cilan caught Iris scowling, but he smiled at Stephen.

"I'm glad you think so. Burgundy might disagree with you though."

"So what did you say to get that old guy to bugger off?" Ash inquired, shoving another forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth.

"I told him I was her brother," Cilan replied; Ash looked mildly disappointed. Cilan closed his eyes tightly, still ignoring Iris' glare.

_'I don't see what she has to be so mad about. She had me to herself for two whole dances,'_ he sighed and looked at her, quirking an eyebrow. She continued to scowl at him. A shout caught Cilan's attention and he looked towards the center of the room.

Georgia's face was the same color as her hair and she was glaring at Trip, who stood across from her.

"That's _it!_ I'll wipe that condescending attitude right out of you! We're starting the battles! Right now!" she threw her Pokeball at Trip and it bounced off his chest, releasing Pawniard right in front of him.

Trip bared his teeth and called out his Gurdurr – the muscular Pokemon towered over Georgia's Pawniard.

Aislynn stepped between the two Pokemon, giving her head a shake.

"All right, since you two seem ready to go at it. We'll start the battles off with this!" a Gothielle appeared next to her and, using its Psychic powers, changed Aislynn's dress to suit, complete with high heels.

_'A very feminine taste,'_ Cilan decided, watching with interest as Ash and Iris rushed over to join the slowly growing crowd.

"As the current league Champion, I'll personally oversee this match! Take your places! As for the observers, I'd ask that you please step back. Just so you know, this cruise ship is built to withstand powerful attacks like Earthquake and Fissure, so please don't hold back," she walked to what had been determined the center of the battlefield.

Cilan noticed with mild amusement that Trip looked shocked to see that Aislynn was the League Champion.

"Our first match is – Georgia versus Trip. This battle is one-on-one; Pokemon may not be switched out. The battle will end when one of the Pokemon faint," she looked at Trip; he nodded to her. Georgia did the same when Aislynn looked at her.

Aislynn raised an arm in the air and brought it down, announcing in a loud voice: "Begin!"

Georgia shocked Cilan by ordering her Pawniard to use Guillotine right off the bat. Trip's Gurdurr dodged easily, and hit the smaller Pokemon with his steel bar.

_'If Trip's Gurdurr hits Georgia's Pawniard once... it's all over. She's at a severe type disadvantage,'_ Cilan wrinkled his nose, _'very distasteful.'_

"Gurdurr, use Low kick!" the Gurdurr did as commanded, though Georgia hastily screamed for her Pawniard to jump onto Gurdurr's steel bar, causing her to narrowly avoid the attack.

"Guillotine!" she countered, but Trip was prepared.

"Throw it off balance," the command was calm; Cilan shook his head. Trip knew he was going to win the battle, as long as he could prevent the Pawniard from using Guillotine.

Trip's Gurdurr tipped his steel bar just enough to make the Pawniard fall off. She blinked her eyes, surprised.

"All right, now use Dynamic punch before she can recover," Trip said, gesturing to the Pawniard.

"Land on his arm and use Guillotine!" Georgia cried. Her Pawniard did as she was told, landing on the Gurdurr's arm.

"Strength," Trip called, and his Gurdurr grabbed the Pawniard by her neck and slammed her against the floor of the ship, breaking her Guillotine.

"Finish it with Low kick," Trip's Gurdurr hesitated, looking back at his trainer. Trip nodded his head, though he scratched the back of his neck. His Gurdurr shrugged, and spun on one foot, his other foot making solid contact with Georgia's Pawniard. She was sent flying into the ceiling, which she hit before crashing back into the floor of the ship. Sounds of sympathy rose from the crowd.

Pawniard didn't even twitch.

"Pawniard is unable to battle!" Aislynn didn't miss a beat, "the battle goes to Gurdurr, therefore Trip is the winner!"

"Good job, Gurdurr," Trip said, patting his Pokemon on the head. Cilan tilted his head, furrowing his brow.

_'He seems quite unhappy about this win. I could wonder why he didn't use Servine, but it's clearly because he didn't want to give her a chance to win,'_ Cilan's eyes flicked to the Pokeball on the table, waiting for him to step up to the battles and reveal what was inside.

Georgia angrily recalled her Pawniard, glaring at the Pokeball in her hand before she spat, "you could have done better."

"The ability of the Pokemon is the same as the ability of the trainer," Aislynn pointed out, "_you're_ the one who _could have done better._"

Cilan felt a chill run down his spine at the tone of her voice. Aislynn was clearly displeased with how Georgia was reacting. Trip sighed, calling his own Pokemon back into his Pokeball.

"Look, Georgia. I wasn't going to use Servine just so you could have a chance at beating me. And what was with you using Guillotine all the time? It makes it kinda' obvious you're unfamiliar with your Paw-" he stopped talking when Georgia slapped a hand against his chest.

"Shut up!" she hissed before quickly turning away and storming off. Trip stared after her, stunned.

"Who's next?" Aislynn called; Cilan shook his head when Ash dashed over to her, "me me me me!"

She laughed, "all right, you're next. And who'll be," she glanced at the Gothielle, "Ash's opponent?"

Stephen quickly walked up, "that'd be me. The name's Stephen. But you already know, don't'cha Aislynn?"

The woman shot a glare at Raphael and smiled at Stephen, "but of course."

Cilan stood, grabbing the Pokeball off the table before he made his way over to the crowd. He spotted Burgundy and shuffled through the crowd until he stood next to her. She lowered her head in a slight nod, acknowledging that he was there.

"She was crying, you know," she commented offhandedly as Stephen started the fight off by ordering his Sawk to use Bulk up. She tilted her head, "you think Pikachu will lose if Stephen's Sawk uses Close combat right after Bulk up?"

"There's a possibility of that," Cilan agreed, moving closer to her so someone could get by him, "you aren't going to do a tasting?"

"Not with you standing right next to me," she muttered bitterly. Cilan gave her a smile.

"Still sore about that comment Georgia made – ow," he wrapped an arm around his stomach. Burgundy had elbowed him.

"Don't remind me," she hissed. Cilan shook his head, tightening his grip on the Premier ball in his hand.

"So Georgia was crying?" both he and Burgundy cringed when Ash's Pikachu took a direct with from Close combat. The attack had the yellow mouse reeling, but the fight wasn't over yet, and Pikachu easily sent off another Thunderbolt at Ash's command, following it up with Iron tail.

"Hmph, I'm surprised you didn't notice," she looked up at him, crossing her arms over her chest, "I'm sure it has something to do with what they were bickering about earlier. But really... she should have known better than to take Trip on when he had two Pokemon to choose between."

Cilan thought about it, _'she should have. But I wonder what they argued about,'_ he furrowed his brow, glancing at Burgundy, _'come to think of it, Burgundy said that her Sawsbuck could easily take down Georgia's Pawniard. I know her Sawsbuck can use Jump kick and Megahorn, both of which are super effective against Pawniard. But she did say her new Pokemon could take down the Pawniard just as easily. Could that mean-'_ he lowered his head.

"Burgundy, would your new Pokemon happen to be of Fighting type?"

Her lips curled up in an unamused smile. She turned her head so Cilan couldn't see her face, "as expected. Of course you would have figured it out sooner or later. I was expecting sooner, though, A-class," she gave him a coy look over her shoulder before she started to weave into the crowd away from him.

Cilan finally noticed that the battle between Ash and Stephen had ended in a tie, with both Pikachu and Sawk lying motionless on the floor. Cilan hurried after Burgundy, Ash and Stephen congratulating each other and their Pokemon on a job well done.

"Why are you following me?" Burgundy asked, lifting a flute off the table. He gave her a look.

"What? I'm old enough," she took a sip and moved to lean against the wall. Cilan stood next to her. He didn't know what to say, so he watched as the next battle unfolded – a Beartic up against a Deino.

"So did you bring Pansage with you?" Burgundy asked, breaking the silence. Cilan had never felt so unwilling to answer a question before.

"I – was unaware there were going to be battles on the cruise."

Burgundy nearly spat out the champagne when she laughed. Cilan frowned at her, but soon found himself laughing too.

"Y-you of _all_ people d-didn't know there were g-going to be battles! Oh, that's rich, Cilan," she shook her head, dragging her finger over her lips, "so who's Pokemon is that?"

"Raphael's. Apparently it's female, as he told me to take good care of her," Cilan sighed, leaning his head back against the wall, "I have no idea what kind of Pokemon she is though. I haven't checked."

"So you're looking to surprise yourself," Burgundy commented, "by not even checking to see if you'll have a good marriage with her before using her in a battle.

"Don't forget I'm an A-class Sommelier. I'll figure it out."

"But you don't even know what kind of moves she has. On top of that, you don't even know what type of Pokemon she is. Grass, Fire, Water... you don't know that," she took another sip of the champagne, smug smile on her lips, "A-class or not... that could be your downfall, couldn't it?"

"You would like to see me fail?"

"Oh I would _love_ to see you fail," she purred, elbowing him lightly.

Irritated that she was refusing to even _humor_ him by giving him the benefit of the doubt, he moved to stand in front of her, bracing his forearm against the wall above her head. Burgundy stared up at him, taking another sip of her drink – but it was obvious she was doing her best not to let his proximity get to her.

"How about we battle, Burgundy? If you win, I'll do whatever you say for a week. And if I win, you'll be my apprentice. Sound good?"

She tensed, her lilac eyes widening. Her hands started quivering.

"Whatever I say..."

"Yes."

"For a whole _week_?" she was looking at him like he was crazy to even suggest it, but he thought it was fair. After all, it wasn't like he could be _her_ apprentice.

"I do believe that's what I said," he muttered, leaning down, "or was there something else that would be more enticing a taste for you, Burgundy?"

The blush he had been hoping for rose to her cheeks; she nearly dropped the flute of champagne, fumbling to keep her fingers around it.

When she blushed, her thinking was usually impaired. She would accept his challenge.

"You're on," she pressed the top of the flute to his chest, her eyes serious, "and I won't give you the _chance_ to figure out what even one of her moves is."

_'That's what you say,'_ he returned her serious gaze, _'but I won't lose.'_

* * *

><p><em>'Just where has she – ah! There she is,'<em> Trip paused in the doorway that led to the deck. His sharp eyes surveyed the city; quickly he pulled out his camera and snapped a shot. Castelia was brightly lit up at night, lights dancing over the water. They were only half way around the city by now.

He turned his gaze back to Georgia and snapped a photo of her without a second thought. A light behind her was lighting her up so beautifully against the deep blue sky as it steadily got darker; unfortunately she had heard the camera go off and snapped her head in his direction.

"Oh it's _you_," her voice seethed with anger. Trip sighed and pocketed his camera, taking careful steps towards her.

"You didn't think I would actually use Servine against your Pawniard when I have Gurdurr with me, did you?" the way her eyes narrowed informed him that yes, she had actually thought that.

"I wasn't going to deliberately give you a chance at beating me. Unlike Ash, that's not how I work," he informed her, standing an elbow's length away from her. She jabbed her finger at his chest.

"I'm not gonna' blame you for the fact that I lost, but you could have used your Servine to prove it was strong!"

"And you could have used your Pawniard's other moves instead of stubbornly sticking to Guillotine," he reminded her, "you made the same mistake when you battled Ash's Snivy."

"That was the terrain it had nothing to do with-"

"_Oh come off it, Georgia!_" he snapped angrily; she pulled her hand back, lips quivering, "why would you waste your Pawniard's ability on an attack like Guillotine? It's incredibly unreliable! It's a move that should be used as a last resort or when you have a clear type advantage – but constantly trying to use it against a _Gurdurr?_ A _fighting type?_ Your Pawniard is quick on her feet, she should have – it would have been easy for her to dodge the majority of my Gurdurr's attacks!" he wrapped a hand around the railing, resting his other hand on his hip, "if you had stopped trying to end the battle so quickly your Pawniard could have beaten my Gurdurr with her speed. Using Metal Claw would have been effective enough."

Trip finally noticed the tears on her cheeks; she sniffed. She was like him, someone who didn't take losing too well, but different than him, for not accepting any of her losses. Always having to blame the loss on something else, or not accepting it entirely, like she had when she had battled Iris' Excadrill with her Beartic.

_'Iris... sure that battle had ended in a tie but even Georgia should have accepted that,'_ Georgia tried to move away from him but he caught her around the waist, pulling her close enough to give her a gentle hug.

"It... it wasn't my intention to make you cry. I'm sorry," he muttered, looking her in the eyes; the green was more vivid from her tears. She roughly shoved him away, stomping off down the deck.

Trip sighed.

_'What a troublesome girl,'_ he thought, pulling his camera out of his pocket. He turned it on, looking at the photo he had caught of her looking out over the water. His heart jumped a little.

_'But... the camera loves her.'_

* * *

><p>"And the next battle will be between Cilan and Burgundy!" Aislynn announced. Cilan briefly wondered if she ever got tired of refereeing all the battles. She glanced at him and smiled.<p>

_'Well here it goes. And the stakes are high,'_ he was impressed that Burgundy was holding his gaze.

"The battle will be one-on-one. No switching Pokemon. Please call them out now."

Burgundy said nothing, but kissed the top of her Pokeball and threw it at the center of the designated battle area. Cilan stared, awestruck almost, when a Mienshao stared back at him. It was poised perfectly, prepared for whatever he threw at it.

"This is my new vintage, Mienshao," Burgundy announced, bringing a hand up to her hair and then flipping some strands over her shoulder, "her elegance suits me, don't you think, Cilan?"

He was certain he was the only one who caught the nervous twinge in her voice, but he agreed with her, "yes, her elegance suits you," and he quickly sent out the Pokemon Raphael had given him.

Of all the Pokemon Cilan expected, Liligant wasn't one of them.

And as Burgundy called out to her Mienshao to use Acrobatics, Cilan remembered her statement earlier: _"And I won't give you the _chance_ to figure out what even one of her moves are."_

_'Darn it!'_ he cursed inwardly, telling the Liligant to dodge. She did so, but her shoulder was clipped by the end of the attack. Burgundy's Mienshao retreated, dashing away from the Liligant. The Liligant glanced back at Cilan, and he nodded to her, _'I just need some time. I can figure this out.'_

"Mienshao, continue using Acrobatics! Concentrate!" Burgundy ordered. Her Mienshao sprinted forwards before leaping into the air - the Liligant did her best to dodge. She glanced back at Cilan again, twirling on her feet.

"Quiver dance!" and so the Liligant did, and while Cilan ordered her to continue using Quiver Dance to dodge Mienshao's attacks, he thought hard.

He sought out Raphael and saw the dark haired man attempting to do some kind of action.

_'Is he -' _he flinched when Mienshao's Acrobatics made a direct hit, sending Liligant flying back, screeching in pain _'- trying to make snow? How is that supposed to help me!'_

Cilan furrowed his brow further when Raphael pretended to fall asleep – and then Cilan understood.

"Scatter Sleep Powder all over," he calmly told Liligant – and he could have sworn she smiled a little.

Now much faster because of using Quiver Dance multiple times, Liligant danced about Burgundy's Mienshao, scattering a green dust. Unless Mienshao knew an attack like Whirlwind or Rapid Spin, it was virtually impossible to avoid Liligant's Sleep Powder.

_'I honestly feel like I'm cheating,'_ Cilan chided himself inwardly – he should have taken the time earlier to find out everything he was discovering now.

Burgundy's Mienshao was fighting against the sleep, but as she collapsed to the floor Cilan watched Raphael pretend to grab something out of the air and eat it.

_'That must be Dream Eater... I'm lucky for this move set up,'_ he shrugged at Burgundy – she was very distressed, her stance tense and her hands balled into fists.

"Liligant, Dream Earter," Cilan shuddered when he saw purple-black smoke rise from around the gentle Pokemon – the smoke took the shape of a mouth and encased Burgundy's Mienshao. Cilan watched her carefully; he watched her bite her lip, watched her straighten a little.

Burgundy held his gaze but for a moment before looking away. She already knew who was going to win.

"I forfeit," she suddenly called out, "Mienshao, return."

The audience let out a variety of gasps, surprised that Burgundy would forfeit. Cilan was shocked as well, staring after her as she walked away. Aislynn shook her head a little and raised her arm, pointing at Cilan.

"Burgundy has forfeited the match. Therefore, Cilan wins by default," she announced; Cilan clenched one hand. Raphael was by his side then.

Without waiting for him to say anything Cilan returned the Liligant's Pokeball, muttering a thank you before heading off to find Burgundy.

_'I don't quite understand. Why would she do that? She could have still made a rebound, her Mienshao wasn't weak at all...' _he pressed two fingers to his forehead, about to make his way to the stairs when he ran into Iris.

"Cilan!" she was happy to see him, "how did your match go? Ash told me you went up against Burgundy."

"She forfeit," he replied bluntly, "I'm looking for her to find out why. It's not like her to just back out of a match."

Iris' face fell, "oh... um... I hope you find her."

Cilan gave Iris a quizzical look, "do you know where she went?"

The girl frowned, lowering her head, "yeah... she's on the deck," Cilan stepped around Iris, thanking her. When he was half way up the stairs he heard her say, "she looked pretty content though."

He didn't know why it worried him, for Burgundy to be calm about forfeiting a match.

Cilan found her leaning against the railing, staring out at the bridge – the cruise would be coming to an end soon. He frowned and walked over to her, stopping to stand slightly behind her.

"So I see you've found me," she muttered, looking over her shoulder. He narrowed his eyes.

"Why did you forfeit?" he asked as he moved to stand behind her, leaning against the railing himself. She straightened, pressing her back against his chest.

"You'd like to know, wouldn't you? I think I made a good choice," she replied. He thought she might be more upset, but she was – as Iris had said – quite content.

"Your Mienshao stood a chance," he argued, gripping the railing more tightly.

"You figured out three of her four moves. That, and my Mienshao was asleep. There was nothing I could do in that situation, except lose or forfeit," she countered, turning around to face him.

"It doesn't count as a win if you forfeit!" he exclaimed – then it hit him. And Burgundy had clearly been thinking about it during the match, because her lips curled up in a sly smile.

"I thought you might see it that way," she grabbed his bow-tie and tugged on it a few times, "as a forfeit not counting as a win. And since neither of us won, the deal is off. You don't do anything for me," she released his bow-tie, letting it snap back, "and I'm not your apprentice."

Cilan couldn't help smiling as he hung his head. She was right about that.

"You got me. Then neither of us win. But," he raised his head to gaze at her, "that doesn't mean I'm giving up."

He nearly laughed at the distress that passed through her face, but he refrained. After all, the distress was quickly replaced by a look of determination.

"Then until you give up on that endeavor, I'll stay determined to not be your apprentice," she pushed her hands against his chest. Cilan held onto the railing, refusing to budge.

"First you'll have to get away from me," he reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "then maybe I'll leave you alone."

Burgundy crossed her arms, glancing down at the floor. As she lifted her head to look up at him he noticed that her eyes drifted to the doors, and suddenly her eyes got wider.

She got up on her toes and whispered, "or maybe you'll leave me alone because a certain purple haired travel partner is staring."

_'… shoot,'_ Cilan pulled his hands away from the railing, freeing Burgundy.

"So..." but he couldn't think of anything to say. He glanced nervously at Iris; she looked upset, but for what he wasn't quite sure.

_'Or I know, and I'm just denying it,'_ Burgundy walked away, heading towards the door.

"I guess I'll see you around, A-class," she said, nodding slightly at Iris. He flushed when he heard Burgundy add, "I don't know why, but he seems to like cornering me. You might wanna' be careful, in case he starts doing that to you too."

A smile appeared on Iris' lips and Cilan leaned back against the railing, watching as she approached him.

"What was that about?"

"I was just trying to keep her from... running away like she normally does. I'm guessing it looked more suggestive?" he laughed a little when Iris nodded. She settled with leaning against the railing next to him. Cilan was comfortable with the silence, though after a while he noticed that Iris was fidgeting. He quirked an eyebrow at her, and elbowed her lightly. She looked up at him.

"What's bothering you?" he asked – to his surprise her cheeks darkened with a blush; she looked down at the deck, tapping her foot against it.

"N-nothing," she eventually replied. Cilan shook his head, looking up at the sky.

And then Iris reached over and grabbed his left arm, pulling with all her might. He was forced to corner her against the railing, lest he wanted to send the both of them over the edge of the boat. He stiffened when she pressed her hands to his chest.

"Iris...?" he ventured, loosening his hold on the railing – the boat was coming to a stop. Iris looked up at him, smiling, and patted him on the chest.

"It's nothing, nothing at all," she told him and the moment he pulled his arm back she made her way to the door, a bounce in her step.

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><p>Trip has a crush. Iris is jealous. Cilan and Burgundy are flirting but they won't admit it. Hurrhurr~ Moving right along and GOSH you don't know how hard it is for me to just... not skip to the romance.<p>

And Burgundy is cheeky :3

I also need to write more fight scenes... a lot more... gosh.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'M SORRY THIS IS REALLY SHORT I'M SORRY THIS IS REALLY SHORT I'M SORRY IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO UPDATE.**

I just gotta say, I'm really busy with school and this Pokemon group on dA and my mind totally being overflowed with all sorts of other thoughts for other stories and and I'll stop rambling now.

This chapter is mostly so short because I'm getting into the plot :3 Tiamat is actually a Purrloin I have in game, no she doesn't know Hypnosis or Nightmare because Purrloin can't learn those moves but **_I like to take liberties with Pokemon and modify them to suit my needs._** Sorry if you no likey, I promise Tiamat will be the only odd one in this story (can't promise that for the other Pokemon stories I have in mind :B)

Please enjoy~

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: All things necessary<strong>

After the cruise was finished, Cilan uneasily let Iris loop her arm around his as the two waited for Ash to finish saying good night to the others. Iris offered Georgia a nod, and the red-head was pleasant enough to return it. Then she stalked off and Trip, after a moment's hesitation, walked briskly after her.

Stephen approached, eying Cilan, his eyebrow quirked. Cilan tilted his head at Iris and mouthed 'help me' to the larger teen.

Stephen grinned.

"Say, Iris, you wanna' go for a walk with me. To the park," he offered her his hand and she peered at him, unsure.

"Why don't you go, Iris?" Cilan encouraged, elbowing Ash to prevent him from snickering. Iris looked between Cilan and Stephen, then smiled.

"Okay, I'll go for a walk with you!" and when she released Cilan's arm in favor of taking Stephen's, Cilan felt he could finally breathe. Next to him Ash snickered and Cilan threatened to elbow him again.

"Gees! You're so touchy tonight, especially after that battle with Burgundy," he rested a hand on Cilan's shoulder, wiggling his eyebrows, "why were you so upset about that?"

Cilan sighed, "she bested me. We made a deal where if one of us won the other would have to do something for us. Naturally, if I won she would be my apprentice, and if she won, I would do whatever she said for a week."

Ash whistled, "a week?"

Cilan shrugged, "I thought it was fair, considering if she was my apprentice that would last for quite some time – until she reached the next class of Sommelier, at the very least."

Ash nodded in understanding and Cilan continued, "she forfeit the match, which prevented both of us from winning and therefore broke the deal."

"Wow... yep, she bested you!" Ash gave Cilan's shoulder a squeeze before he started to walk off, covering a yawn, "I'm off to the hotel. I'll see you later, yeah? Don't come back too late. I don't like being woken up!"

Cilan smiled and shook his head, waving at Ash's back. He waited for a few minutes, tilting his head back to look up at the sky, then he felt the searing pain in his shoulder, which told him that _it's time_.

He gripped his left shoulder tightly in his hand, then proceeded towards the alleys of Castelia, green eyes flicking over all the dark shapes.

And then a Purrloin hopped onto one of the dumpsters and Cilan stopped dead in his tracks, a bead of sweat sliding down his forehead, _'that's her.'_

The Purrloin flicked her tail, and groomed her paw before she spoke, "hello, Cilan. It's been a while. Doesn't hurt too much does it?"

Cilan grit his teeth and looked under his hand – even through his suit, the three lines were visible, glowing a dull purple, _'though I'm glad the scars aren't that visible on other days.'_

"No, not too badly, Tiamat," he cringed when she purred, "w-what are you doing here?"

"You know why I'm here. Ghetsis is on the move. He wanted me to tell you and your brothers. You'll really have your work cut out for you, you know? I'll be around," she flicked her tail again, hopping onto the ground and walking up to him, rubbing her head and body against one of his legs, "I'll be following you. Or at least, one of the others will be. But you don't have to worry – we won't let ourselves be seen," she easily scampered up his torso, making Cilan shiver.

She perched on his shoulder and licked his face, "be prepared; the Shadow Triad will have much work to do."

_'You already said that,'_ he wanted to tell her but he kept his mouth shut, fisting his hand in his suit, _'just hurry up and leave!'_

Tiamat flicked her tail once more and glanced over her shoulder. He just barely heard her whisper, "but the human girl is irritating. She followed you."

_'Iris? Wait no,'_ Cilan recognized the feel of the gaze on his back and he turned, _'Burgundy...'_

She wasn't looking at him, he realized, and for a moment he was frozen in place; she was looking at Tiamat as the Purrloin scampered away.

"... well that's weird," she muttered, then turned her gaze to him, "what are you doing in an alle-" Cilan tensed when her eyes spotted the hand he was clutching his shoulder with, "are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm all right," he assured her, but didn't move his hand away from his shoulder; Burgundy was unconvinced and walked towards him. He smiled nervously, taking several steps back, "r-really, Burgundy."

His back came into contact with a dumpster and he glanced over his shoulder at it – then Burgundy's arm was planted firmly against the dull green metal, cornering him. She bored holes into him with her lilac eyes and he ducked his head, trying to avoid her gaze.

"You're lying," she informed him and grabbed his hand. He grit his teeth and wrapped his left arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him. She gasped, immediately moving both her hands to his chest.

"C-Cilan, let go!" she stuttered, her face bright red.

"I need you to trust me," he begged in a low voice, tightening his hold on her when she struggled, "I'm perfectly _fine._"

"'Fine' is not a very tasteful word coming from someone of your calibre!" Burgundy exclaimed, her cheeks pure scarlet, "which means, you are _not _okay and you're _lying to me_!"

Cilan tensed. He hadn't expected her to understand him that well, or to pick up on the small things; he sighed and pulled his hand away from his shoulder, looking at it out of the corner of his eye. A wave of relief swept through him when he saw that the purple lines had faded.

"Burgundy, really," he tried a smile but she scowled at him, pushing her hands harder against his chest.

"I don't like the fact that you're lying to me!" and she finally broke out of his hold, backing away from him. Then, to Cilan's surprise, she strode past him, down the alley and in the direction of the park, where Tiamat had run off to. Cilan stumbled after Burgundy, anxious. Tiamat might use Hypnosis on her, and worse, might even use Nightmare – and how the Purrloin knew such moves was beyond Cilan.

"Burgundy, wait!" he grabbed her arm as soon as he caught up to her. She jerked her arm out of his grasp, turning to face him, eyes blazing.

"You clearly don't want me to find out anything about that Purrloin. I thought you had a fear of them," she hissed, about to continue on her search. Cilan grabbed her by her shoulders, forcing her to stay facing him.

"I do, I won't deny that," he looked away, spotting Tiamat in the shadows, flicking her tail. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead and Burgundy picked up on his anxiety.

"See? You're anxious! What is it that you're hiding, exactly?" she frowned, "are you going to keep it from Ash and Iris too?"

"I – well..." Cilan sighed, his head drooping, "I have nothing to tell," he muttered in a quiet voice, refusing to lift his gaze.

Burgundy was clearly unimpressed, because she crossed her arms over her chest, "you're a terrible liar."

"How would you know what I'm like?" Cilan inquired, quickly jumping at the chance to change the topic of conversation. Burgundy quirked an eyebrow at him, as if asking him whether or not he thought she was going to take the bait.

"Trying to change the topic are we?"

"It was worth a shot..."

"Hmph," she lifted an arm and swept it to the side, knocking his left hand off her shoulder; she side-stepped and walked around him. Cilan lowered his arms.

"Fine. Since you're so intent on keeping your secrets," she turned on her heel, making her way back to the hotel. Cilan glanced at the trees to see that Tiamat was still there, crouched down, her slit eyes focused on Burgundy. The A-class Sommelier strode quickly into Tiamat's line of sight; he gave the Purrloin a glare and the cat smiled, then dashed off into the park.

"If it's really nothing though, Cilan, and you want me to leave you alone about it," Burgundy turned sharply, causing Cilan to bump into her. He could hardly hold her harsh gaze, "I recommend you stop glaring into the woods."

Before he could response to her she continued on her way back to the hotel, shaking her head from side-to-side. Cilan pressed his fingers to his forehead, breathing in deeply.

He could only pray that Tiamat didn't do anything to the fiery Sommelier.


End file.
